Window-sash balance



Aug. 5, 1930. A. c. FAST 1,771,997

WINDOWSASH BALANCE,

Filed' Jan. 11, 1929 2 sheets-sheet 1 E m m, m m 0 0J l l w o J m .t n mJ f 1 u A M A 1 1 f 1 1 E d. f u. 5 a J u f 7 w f y 0 5. w. :L :i 1

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Augf 5, 1930. A. c. FAsT WINDOW SASH BALANCE Filed Jan.1l, 1929 Patented Aug. 5, 1.930

AUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE IIIcnIeAN,

ASSIGNOB TO GAB KEA COBZPOBATION, 0l' A CORPORATION OF MICHIGANwINDow-sAsII BALANCE Application mea January n, Isae. semi In. 331,930.

The primary object of the present invention is to devise a .balancingmechanismwhich may be easily installed b any competent carpenter upon'any stan ard double hung window sash. The mechanism in accomplishingthis object, further facilitates the construction of the window in atight, stormproof manner, guarantees that it will not stick or rattle,and that it may be smoothly and easily moved up or down at any timedesired.

A further object of the present invention is to construct a sash balancewhich insures the smooth and easy raising or lowering of the windowwithout employin any special frames, or without the use of pu leys as isthe ordinary practice. The present device is designed so that all theparts may be made o metal and thereforeit is not subject to breakage orwarping and when once installed it remains-in serviceable conditionduring the entire useful life of the window.

With these objects in view and others which are subsidiary thereto andresultant therefrom, my invention isl fully disclosed by way of examplein the following description with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a partial front elevation of a windowequipped with the present invention;

Figure 2'is a vertical cross section through the window openingillustrating the edges of the upper and lower sash in elevation;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the sash illustrating the spring casingin cross section with the device in the expanded position;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 with the device compressedthrough downward movement of the sash;

Figure 5 is a cross section through the sash and Window frame, beingillustrative of the spring locking and releasing mechanism,

Figure 6 is a cross section similar to Figure- 5 illustrating a furtherstage of operation and resulting from continued downward Vmovement ofthe sash.

Similar characters of reference are employed throu hout the followingdescription and the drawings and serve to indicate the several elementswhich combine to form the present invention.

The numeral 1 indicates the upper and lower sashes of a window which maybe any type which is in every day use at the present time employingwood'en sash. The sashes are mounted in the usual frame 2 in a mannerwhich permits them to be moved upuor down and for the purpose ofassisting t 's movement there are provided the springs 3 and 4. Thesprings are enclosed in casings 5 and 6 respectlvely, which serve tomaintain the sprin s from lbending or buckling, the casings eingsuitably secured to the window sash in any convenient manner.

The upper ends of the casings 5 and 6 abut f against the bracket 7 whichis secured to the held to project outwardly in a resilient manner bymeans of the springs 15 which are clearly illustrated in Flgs. 5 and 6,the projecting edge of the dogs contacting with the window frame. Theheads, being slidable within the casings 5 and 6, are provided withbosses 16 and 17 which project into slots 18 and 19 in the casings 5 and6 respectively to maintain them in the proper relation, the slotsfurther ermitting the free movement of the projecting dogs 13 and 14.The head 12 is provided-with a stem 20 which projects upwardly withinthe coils of thel spring 4, the upper end of the stem havin a smallextension provided with a rounde head 21 which is of smaller diameterthan the diameter of and their functionsl the stem 20. The head 21 onthe stem 20 1s adapted to be forced through an opening 22 in the bracket7 and retained 1n this posltion by the latch 8 as will later bedescribed in detail, the stem being of larger diameter so as te preventit from also passing through the opening 22.

A late 23 is secured to the window frame which) is previously recessedas at 24 to accommodate the spring 25 secured to the rear face of theplate 23. The spring normally' rests in the position illustrated inFigure 5 of the drawings and is provided with a ca tch 26 which projectsinto the opening 27 1n the late 23 and is thereby adapted to be engagedy the dog 14 during downward movement of the sash. The spring 25 isfurther provided with an extending member 28 w ich projects through anopening 29 in the plate 23 and is adapted for engagement by a lug 30carried by the casing 6 for the purpose of moving the catch 26 away fromthe dog 14 and leaving it free for downward movement. The frame isfurther provided with a bracket 31 which is adapted for engagement bythe dog 13 carried in the head'll. A rounded projection 32 is formedupon the plate 23 and is so located that it will engage the portion 10on the catch member only at a time when the lug 30 is above theextending member 28. In engaging the portion 10 of the catch member 8,the member is caused to move upon its pivot so that the catch member ismoved away from under the head 21 on the stem 20.

Inasmuch as the operation of the upper and lower sash are identical, thedescription of the operation will be confined to the upper sash. Thesash is moved downwardl which causes the dog 14 to engage the cate 26,continued movement causing the spring 4 to be compressed until the head21 on the stem 20 is forced through the opening 22 in the bracket 7 andthe latch 8 engages under the head to lock the stem in this positionwith the spring 4 compressed. At the same time this action takes placethe lug 30 engages the member 28 to release the catch 26 from under thedog 14 leaving the sash free for continued downward movement as far asthis s ring 4 is concerned. At the time which t e spring 4 becomeslocked in a compressed position and released from the catch after themanner above described, the dog 13 engages against the bracket 31 andcontinued movement of the sash will compress the spring 3 and continueto counterbalance the weight of the window. If it is found that the twosprings are not suiicient to give the desired amount of movement it isquite obvious that a greater number may be employed to operateconsecutively by employing the same mechanism and with very l1ttlechange.

In raising the window it is counterbalanced by the spring 3 until suchtime as its resiliency is spent and at that time the lu 32 engages theportion 10 on the latch 8 an moves it to release the head 21 of the stem20 and the spring 4, which has been compressed in the manner causing thedog 14 to engage t e catch 26 and the sash is counterbalaneed by thespring 4 during continued upward movement.

It is to be understood, that, although the mechanism has been describedin conjunction with a double hung window, it is not to be confined tothis particular use as it is obvious that its uses are various and ofbroad scope. It is also to be understood that, although a specificembodiment has been illustrated and described that various alterationsmay be made in the details of construction Without departing from thespirit of the invention as depicted in the appended claims.

What I claim is 1. In combination with a sash slidably mounted in aframe, said sash havin channels formed in the sides thereof, a b( ancingmechanism comprising a plurality of projecting members carried by saidframe and partly projecting into said channels, and resilient meansmounted in said channels for consecutively engaging certain of saidprojecting members whereby to resiliently counterbalance the weight otthe sash.

2. In combination With a sash slidably mounted in a Window frame, saidsash having channels formed in the sides thereof, a balancing mechanismcomprising projecting members carried by said frame and positioned atdifferent heights to partly project into said channels, and aI pluralityof resilient members carried by said sash and adapted to consecutivelyengage certain of said projecting members for compressing one of saidresilient members at any stage of the movement of said sash.

3. In combination with a sash slidably mounted in a window frame, abalancing mechanism comprising projecting members carried by said frame,channels formed in the side members of said sash, resilient membersattached to said sash in said channels, dogs carried by said resilientmembers and adapted to engage said projecting members consecutivelywhereby one of said resilient members is adapted to be compressed at anystage of the movement of said sash.

4.A balancing mechanism of the character described comprising incombination a frame, a sash having channels in the sides thereofslidably mounted in said frame, a plurality of projecting memberscarried by said frame, and a plurality of resilient members carried bysaid sash in said channels and adapted to consecutively engage saidprojecting members for compressing one of said resilient members at anystage of the movement of said sash.

5. The combination with a sash slidably pieviensi descritti,

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pressing said last named sprino during conj tinued downward movement of'said sash.

6. The combination with a sash slidably mounted in a frame, a balancingmechanism comprising a plurality of projecting members attached to theframe, a plurality of springs carried by said sash and having dogs forengaging one of said projecting members whereby downward movement ofsaid sash causes one of said springs to be compressed,

, means for locking said spring in compressed position, means carried bysaid spring for releasing said dog from engagement with said engagedprojecting member while said spring is in the locked position, and meanswhereby the dog on the other of said springs will engage the other ofsaid projecting members for compressing said last named spring duringcontinued downward .movement of said sash.

7. The combination with a sash slidably mounted in a frame, a balancingmechanism comprising a plurality of projecting members attached to theframe, a plurality of springs carried by said sash and having dogs forengaging one of said projecting members whereby downward movement ofsaid sash` causes one of said springs to be compressed, means forlocking said spring in a compressed position, and means whereby the dogon the other of said springs will engage with the other of the saidprojecting members for compressing said last named spring duringcontinued downward movement of said sash, and means carried by saidframe for engaging said locking means whereby to release said compressedspring during upward movement of the sash.

8. The combination with asash slidably mounted in a frame, a balancingmechanism comprising a plurality of projectin members attached to theframe, a pluraity of springs carried by said sash and having dogs forengaging one of said projecting members wherebydownwa-rd movement ofsaid sash causes one of said springs to be compressed means for lockingsaid spring in compresse position, means carried by said spring forreleasing said dog from engagement with said engaged projecting memberwhile said spring is in the locked position, means whereby the dog onthe other of said springs will engage the other of said projectingmembers for compressing said last named spring during continued downwardmovement of said sash, and means carried by said frame for engaging saidlocking means whereby to release said compressed spring during upwardmovement of the sash.

In testimony whereof I aix m signature.

AUGUST FAST.

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